LRC psych unit mediation rejected

Efforts to end a row that has led to a four-month delay in opening a €15m psychiatric facility received a major setback after nurses last night unanimously rejected proposals by the Labour Relations Commission.

All 20 psychiatric nurses represented by Siptu at Cork University Hospital rejected LRC proposals aimed at ending the dispute, which included the offer of 10 extra nurses and five additional healthcare assistants to staff the hospital’s new acute unit.

One of the nurses, Des McSweeney — who was temporarily put off work with pay during the dispute after he criticised the operational plans for the unit in the media — said he believed key clinical issues had still not been addressed by HSE management.